Remembering Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit

"Strange Fruit" is a song written by Abel Meeropol, a Jewish high school teacher and union activist, and performed by Billie Holiday. The song, which was first recorded in 1939, protests the lynching of Black Americans and is considered a civil rights anthem.

The lyrics of "Strange Fruit" describe the horror and brutality of lynching, using vivid imagery to paint a picture of bodies hanging from trees as a result of racial violence. The song compares these lynched bodies to "strange fruit" hanging from the "poplar trees," suggesting that the victims were not human beings, but rather objects of hate and discrimination.

Billie Holiday's performance of "Strange Fruit" was met with controversy and backlash. Many people, including some in the music industry, believed that the song was too political and too disturbing to be popular. Despite this, Holiday continued to perform the song throughout her career, using her platform to raise awareness about the issue of lynching and racial violence in the United States.

In addition to its powerful lyrics, "Strange Fruit" is notable for its haunting melody, which was composed by Meeropol and set to music. The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years, and its message remains relevant today as we continue to grapple with the legacy of racial violence and inequality in America.

In conclusion, "Strange Fruit" is a powerful and haunting song that protests the lynching of Black Americans and serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing struggle for racial justice in the United States. Through her performance of this song, Billie Holiday used her voice to speak out against injustice and bring attention to a critical issue of her time.